CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai
Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the global leader in content
delivery network (CDN) services, is pleased to announce its
partnership with Girls Who Code – a national non-profit
organization that seeks to inspire, educate and equip girls with
computing skills for the 21st century. Akamai will
serve as a host company for the organization's acclaimed seven-week
Summer Immersion Program (taking place at Akamai from July 6 – August 21).
This year marks Girls Who Code's largest-ever expansion of its
Summer Immersion Program, from 19 programs servicing 375 girls in
2014 to 60 programs reaching close to 1,200 girls in nine cities
nationwide this summer. Akamai joins companies including Accenture,
Adobe, AIG, AT&T, Electronic Arts, Facebook, GE, Google, IBM,
Microsoft, Pixar Animation Studios, The Honest Company, and Twitter
in the critical movement to close the gender gap in the computing
and technology sector.
"The imbalance in the numbers of women focused on careers in
computer science, software development and Internet technologies is
one of our industry's biggest challenges," said Dr. Tom Leighton, Chief Executive Officer at Akamai.
"Partnering with Girls Who Code is an important step towards better
preparing young women for technology jobs – an investment, we
believe, that is vital to the future of technology and
innovation."
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that IT will be one
of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy, adding nearly
1.4 million job openings by 2020,1 but women educated in
the U.S. are only on pace to filling 3 percent of these
positions.2
"The gender gap isn't just a Silicon Valley issue anymore," said
Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of
Girls Who Code. "The shortage of women in technical roles, whether
it's retail, entertainment or finance, is a massive crisis both in
terms of innovation and socio-economic equality throughout
the United States. Girls Who Code
has established a successful track record of empowering girls to
pursue majors and eventually careers in computer science, and we're
inspired that a powerhouse organization such as Akamai has invested
in taking our movement to the next level this summer."
The seven-week Summer Immersion Program teaches young women –
rising high school juniors and seniors – everything from mobile app
development to robotics to web design, and participants may
ultimately get a chance to see their products in real life.
In addition to classroom education, girls in the program receive
exposure to the world of computer science, with field trips to
major companies in the media and technology fields, as well as
meeting some of the top executives of technology companies. No
prior coding experience is required.
__________________
1. The National Center for Women & Information
Technology (NCWIT)
2. Computing Research Association, Computing Degree and
Enrollment Trends
"We are honored to partner with important enrichment groups such
as Girls Who Code," said Bhuvana
Husain, Director of Programs & Operations at Akamai and
group lead for the Akamai Women's Forum. "It is a priority at
Akamai to hire diverse talent, build connections to retain these
employees, and to foster a community that supports professional and
personal growth. We applaud the passion of the Girls Who Code
initiative, and hope each of the participants in this summer
immersion program find inspiration to consider a career in
technology."
About Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code is a national
non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in
technology. Through its Summer Immersion Program and Girls Who Code
Clubs, the organization is leading the movement to inspire,
educate, and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue
21st century opportunities. Additional information is available at
www.girlswhocode.com.
About Akamai
As the global leader in Content Delivery
Network (CDN) services, Akamai makes the Internet fast, reliable
and secure for its customers. The company's advanced web
performance, mobile performance, cloud security and media delivery
solutions are revolutionizing how businesses optimize consumer,
enterprise and entertainment experiences for any device, anywhere.
To learn how Akamai solutions and its team of Internet experts are
helping businesses move faster forward, please visit
www.akamai.com or blogs.akamai.com, and follow @Akamai on
Twitter.
Contacts:
|
Jeff Young
Media Relations
617-444-3913
jyoung@akamai.com
|
--or--
|
Tom Barth
Investor Relations
617-274-7130
tbarth@akamai.com
|
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SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.